Hidden Pain
by Definitely Not A Hugger
Summary: In which, Theseus Scamander doesn't know how to care for his mental wellbeing and Newt enlists the help of a certain Queenie Goldstein. AU that takes place after the first film. More chapters to come!
1. Chapter 1

Newt knew that Theseus wasn't feeling good. It's not that he was sick or physically hurt, but Newt knew that Theseus was hurting on the inside. Of course, this hurting was perfectly reasonable, something anybody else would feel in the same position, and yet the older brother refused to talk about it.

Newt knew that from experience that bottling up your emotions was not a good idea and as much as Newt wanted to be there for him, he couldn't. The British Ministry of Magic had called him back, wanting to see his progress on his book, plus they probably wanted to hear his side of the Grindelwald incident.

Of course, after hearing about what happened, Theseus immediately came to New York to check on him. Hence the reason why Theseus was even in New York. While he was here, Theseus also managed to get caught up in aftermath of Grindelwald and was required to stay for at least another two weeks.

Which brought Newt back to his problem. He certainly couldn't leave Theseus alone, but he feared that Theseus would be even more hesitant to open up to anyone else. He tried his hardest to think of somebody Theseus would be comfortable with. The ringing of a door chime dragged him out of his thoughts and that's when Queenie Goldstein walked into the bakery.

"Oh, hi Newt" beamed Queenie as she stopped beside him, as usual she gave him personal space, which he deeply appreciated, preferring to stay a good few feet away from people.

"Um, hello Queenie" replied Newt, choosing to keep his eyes on the niffler pastries. "Would you mind… Would you mind doing me a favor. If not, it's okay, I'm sure I-".

"Of course, I wouldn't mind honey, what do you need?"

"Well, you see, I have to go back to Britain for a little while. And, well, my brother Theseus is in town, and I don't want to leave him alone. I was kind of hoping that maybe he could stay with you".

"That sounds like fun, when do you leave?" asked Queenie.

"Tonight, actually, but it will only be for a few days".

\- 3 hours later-

Queenie sat in her living room, awaiting the arrival of Newt and his brother. Tina was away on an undercover assignment, trying to locate the still missing Percival Graves, so it would be nice to have some company.

Queenie arose from her seat when she heard a gentle knock on the door. She stepped aside to let the two wizards in.

"Queenie, this is my brother, Theseus, he's an auror with the British Ministry. Theseus, this is my friend, Queenie" said Newt, introducing the two-remaining people in the room.

"Well, it's always good to meet a friend of my brother's" said Theseus as he and Queenie shook hands. She couldn't help but notice how both alike and different the two brothers were. You could certainly tell that they were related, but Theseus had dark hair then Newt and was slightly taller. He also seemed to have more confidence then Newt.

"Queenie, can I talk to you in private?" asked Newt, nodding towards the hallway.

"Sure", Queenie gave Newt a slightly confused look. She had already promised not to read his mind anymore, knowing Newt enjoyed his privacy.

Newt stopped at the door, making sure that Theseus was still sitting on the couch and was not within listening range. "Listen, Queenie, there's a few reasons why I chose you for this and there's something I need to tell you about Theseus".


	2. Chapter 2

"What?", Queenie was starting to feel a little scared now. Theseus looked like a nice guy, but from the way Newt has been acting, from his need to talk in private, consistently looking out the door to make sure they weren't be overheard, to his hesitation to answer her question.

"Well.", Pausing for a moment to once again stick his head out the door. "You know how, Tina always says that I have really bad self preservation skills?

"Newt, I don't think Tina's the only person who says that".

"Well, Theseus is like me but tens time worse and he's been in a really bad mental state lately. I don't know how much I've told you about him. But he played a rather large role in war and ever since, he's been… different in way. You see, one of his war buddies just... just killed himself and honestly, I'm worried about Theseus. He may seem fine, but I… I just don't want him to do anything stupid".

Queenie let out a sigh of relief. For a second, she had thought Newt was going to say something crazy. Of course, she felt bad for the war hero, but it was nice to know that he wasn't going to turn into a dragon or something during his sleep. "Okay, so, I'm assuming you just want me to be here for him. Unless you want me to read his, you know, mind". Queenie already knew that one Scamander reacted badly to legilimency and she wasn't exactly looking for another bad reaction.

Newt looked up, meeting her gaze, something that rarely ever happened. "I want you to do what you have to do".

His brother had been gone for an hour now, Queenie had shown him to a room. It was nice, it had a single bed, with a rather lovely quilt, and across from the bed was a dark wooden dresser, which held many framed photos. Some of which looked as if they had been cut out of newspapers. Theseus had, at first attempted to avoid looking at the pictures, already feeling as if he was being invasive. But he couldn't stop himself once he saw that Newt was in most of the pictures.

There was a picture of Newt, Queenie Goldstein, who he had just met, and two unknown people. The four of them seemed to be standing in a bakery. The man was rather short and was holding a plate full of pastries that looked a lot like niffler and the lady, she had dark, short hair and unlike the other three, she was not smiling. But Newt was smiling and that was the important part.

He had originally been worried about his little brother, who often preferred to avoid humans and spend all his time in his case with his creatures. So, it was nice to see Newt having fun with other humans, he was glad that his little brother had made friends. It was nice to know that there were other people looking out for the rather adventurous magizoologist.

Queenie had told him that dinner would be ready soon. Although he was slightly confused at her chosen method of cooking, he rarely ever seen any wizards making hand cooked meals. He found the muggle way of cooking was rather slow, he much preferred using magic. It was faster and there was less of a chance of him messing up. Course, he would never admit that.

After inspecting the photos and spending a few minutes trying and failing to keep himself occupied, he decided to go out to the kitchen. As soon as he walked into the kitchen he was overtaken by a heavenly smell.

"I just took the lasagna out of the oven. It's probably pretty hot, but help yourself", Queenie gestured to the pan on the stove from across the room. She seemed to be looking for something as she dug through her cupboards.

Theseus grabbed one of the glass plates from the counter and proceeded to fill his plate with lasagna that certainly smelled and looked amazing

Queenie must have either found what she was searching for or she gave up. She joined him at the table with her own plate. "What do you think? I was trying to cook it the no-mag way".

The conversation was quite delayed as Theseus was a little too busy eating to give an immediate reply, "It's amazing. Although, I can't help but wonder why you chose to make it without magic".

"Well, there's this baker downtown that cooks the most wonderful food without magic, so, I thought I would give it try, it's quite relaxing really". Queenie felt a slight blush creep upon her cheeks as she thought of the no-mag baker.

"I suppose it might be. However, I'm the type of the person that, somehow, finds a way to mess up scrambled eggs", Theseus said with a smile on face. Remembering the time, he and Newt were home alone as kids and of course Newt wanted scrambled eggs, which Theseus didn't know how to cook. Newt always teases him about the failed attempt, it was the reason why his mother never let him anywhere near her kitchen, even years after the incident.

"You know, Newt talks quite the bit about you, told us that you're an auror" Queenie replied, changing the topic in hopes of learning more about the older Scamander.

"Yes, I've been working for the British ministry for a few years now", he was quite surprised that Newt talked about him. With all of Newt's traveling, they didn't see each often as Theseus would have liked. However, they were still quite protective of each other, and the number of times Theseus had to save Newt from being arrested was almost uncountable. Course, most them were because Newt felt the need to save every creature in his sight and was willing to go to any length to achieve his goal.

"And what did you do before that?", Queenie knew she was pushing her limits asking a question like that. Newt had told her that Theseus had participated and played quite a big role in the war. She knew that Theseus most likely had some bad memories. But Newt was scared for his brother's health and they both knew that talking about it would most definitely help Theseus feel better.

"Queenie, I don't mean to be rude. But I think I'm going to retire for the night, I've had a rather long day", and with that, he stood from seat and went back to what would be his room for the next few days.


	3. Chapter 3

It was dark, he found himself in a tunnel of sorts. There was a small dot of light at the end and he couldn't help but feel the need to go towards it. He started running, he was getting closer and the feeling was getting more intense. He stepped out into the blinding light and what he saw was enough to make him want to go back into the tunnel. He found himself in the middle of a battle field. Soldiers were running around like ants while airplanes flew overhead creating a storm of bombs.

It felt as if he was watching a slow-motion movie. He watched as airplane dropped closer to the ground and flew over his head. He turned around and made eye connect with another soldier across the field. It was Alcott, who seemed quite unaware of what was about to happen. The bomb was slowly falling through air, dropping on unaware soldiers. People were franticly running past him, attempting to escape the storm of debris. He started running towards the explosion, it was an action out of thought, an instinct. He needed to make sure Alcott was alright.

What he seen would haunt him for the rest of his life. His friend's motionless body was drenched in a mixture of dirt and blood. He started to tap his friends face, tried talking to him, looking for any sign of life. A couple of minutes had felt like hours and he was starting to lose hope. That's when a bloody hand grabbed his arm and Alcott's body sprang to life

"Theseus! Why didn't you save? You could have saved me!" Alcott's voice was rough, and his words were harsh.

"I tried, I really did, I'm so sorry, I-"

"No!" Alcott's voice was getting softer, quitter. "You should have been here, you should have saved me" His grip began to loosen, Theseus watched as his best friend's body went slack and once again Alcott's body was lifeless.

He started to shake the body, Alcott couldn't die. Theseus couldn't let the happen. He couldn't go home to another family and tell them he was sorry, he couldn't go to another funeral, he needed Alcott to live. By this point he could feel the tears rolling down his cheeks. He felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Theseus… Theseus, wake up. It's okay, it's just a bad dream".

He shot up, he started to panic, he couldn't breathe. He franticly looked around the room, he didn't know where he was. This wasn't his room, and this wasn't Newts house. Queenie noticed Theseus' panicking and sat down beside him.

"Hey, hey… It's okay. Deep breathes, okay? In and out… In and out".

Queenie, that's right. He was at Queenie's house. She was Newt's friend, Newt said that he could trust her. He was fine, he was safe. "You seen it, didn't you? You're a legilimen".

"I… I only seen part of it. I only woke up a few minutes ago. I heard you and I thought I should come check on you". How did he know? Queenie hadn't told him, and she was quite sure that Newt had never told him either. She hoped that Theseus would still trust her after this, the whole reason he was here is because he needed somebody to talk to, somebody he could trust.

"Well, then. I'm sorry I woke you. But I think I'll be fine now"

Queenie could now see what Newt had mentioned earlier, Theseus had just woken up from a terrifying nightmare and he was apologizing for waking her up. She had only known him for a few hours and she already knew that he tended to put others before himself and, she decided that she couldn't let him continue doing this. "Do you want to talk about?"

"Queenie, I know why my brother brought me here. I know that he probably thinks I'm crazy. I know that he's worried that I'll kill myself, but I can't".

I can't. It wasn't a promise saying that he wanted to live. He was saying that if he could, he would. But he didn't have that chance, he still had his brother to take care of, he couldn't leave Newt to be devoured by the Ministry, MACUSA or any or magical government. His family already had their own problems, they didn't need to worry about his.

He probably thinks I'm crazy. That sentence may have just broke Queenie's heart. After digging a little deeper into Theseus' mind, she discovered that he truly believed that he was being a burden to his brother and his family. "Oh, honey, Newt doesn't think you're crazy. I think he's just worried about you, he doesn't want you to keep bottling up your emotions. He wants you to talk about what happened".

"He shouldn't have to worry about me".

"Why not?"

"Because I'm the older sibling, I'm supposed to protect him".

She really hoped that Tina didn't feel this way. It was nice to have somebody looking out for you but that doesn't mean that the older sibling should have to hide their problems. Sibling should always be there for each other, it didn't matter who was older. Despite this, Queenie knew that Theseus wouldn't open up to his younger brother, not yet. "Well, if you don't want to talk to Newt, do you think you can talk to me?"

They sat in silence. Queenie gave Theseus time, knowing that the slightest push could send him back into his shell.

"His name was Alcott". Looking up to meet her gaze he could see that she was confused. He assumed that she must not have went very far into his mind. "The dying man in my dream, his name was Alcott. He was in my unit during the war, he was the one who just killed himself."

He could feel the tears rolling down his cheeks, but he didn't really care at this point. "You know, he didn't die that day, I managed to save him. I stopped the bleeding, which stabilized him and then I brought him to a medic".

His breathing was beginning to get shaky again. Queenie didn't want to say anything, she knew that he would continue talking when he was ready, most people did. "We stayed in contact after the war, we would write each other letters once a week. But after time, they became less frequent and eventually they just stopped. I should have been there for him…I-I should have kept writing. Maybe… maybe I could have stopped him".

"Don't do that to yourself, Theseus. We can't change the past, no matter how hard we try. So, focus on what's here now".

"Thank you, Queenie, I-I feel a lot better now. But I think I'm going to go back to sleep, I don't really feel like talking anymore".

"Okay, but don't hesitant to wake me up if you need anything" and with that Queenie left, leaving Theseus to think, he really hoped he wasn't worrying Newt too much.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey Guys! Sorry I took so long to update, but it's winter break, which means no school! I'm free to write again! Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

Going back to work the next day was hell. He felt like shit. He was quite glad that he was in America, had he been at home his mother would have already taken away his wand for using that kind of language. However, that didn't make him feel any better. By now, he had grown used to low amounts of sleep, but he couldn't stand the pounding headache that was currently attacking his brain.

He knew that he probably looked just as bad as he felt, one of the American aurors had already suggested that he take Pepperup potion or go to the hospital. In his opinion, he couldn't afford to do either. Grindelwald was still in hiding and so far, they have made absolutely no progress, he was only here for another two weeks, he needed to help as much as possible. He also needed to look somewhat professional and he couldn't do that if the Pepperup potion was causing steam to come out of his ears.

For most of the day he hid in his temporary office, most of the aurors were smart enough to leave him alone. That was until they had caught a lead. They had gotten word from an undercover auror that there was going to be a rally tonight, they said it was unlikely that Grindelwald himself would be there, but it was a start.

After listening to one of the American aurors (he really didn't know which one) give a rather long and somewhat boring speech, which he supposed was supposed to be motivating, they were ready to go. In attempt to avoid suspicion they walked to the gathering in small groups, he was quite grateful for this, considering he would have gotten himself lost had he been alone.

He and Indigo, the American auror he was partnered with, stopped in front of a restaurant. After a quick check, they were certain that this was the correct location and lucky for them, it was a wizard run operation, which meant that no muggles would be harmed, and no one would be obliviated. They walked into the facility, Indigo asked for a table as Theseus scanned the room, ensuring that the other aurors had arrived and were prepared. He continued to scan the room until he saw a large group of people that most definitely stood out, this must be the rally, although it was more of a gathering, he supposed.

The waiter led them to a table in the centre of the restaurant, walking away quickly after taking their orders. Looking across the room he could see that many of the new aurors looked quite bored, Indigo included. There wasn't much they could do besides listen very closely and hope to hear something important.

He wished Newt or Leta was here, both usually had a lot to talk about. Of course, it took a little while to get Newt to come out of his shell, but at the mention of magical creatures, Newt could talk forever. He wondered what Newt was doing now, he hoped that he had visited mother by now.

"-Theseus?"

The sound of Indigo's voice snapped him out of his thoughts, he wondered how long she has been attempting to start a conversation. Hopefully he hadn't zoned out for too long. "Yes?" He tried to sound present and interested for the sake of blending in and looking like two normal people eating dinner, definitely not aurors.

"I was wondering if-" He didn't hear the rest of her question.

Indigo watched as somebody from a table beside them stood and pulled out their wand. They shouted something she didn't understand and suddenly Theseus was thrown across the room, hitting the floor with a thud. The whole restaurant went to chaos, aurors jumped from their seats, attempting to stop Grindelwald's followers from causing anymore harm. Spells and curses flew left and right, the followers seemed to be more focused on escaping rather then fighting. After only five minutes the fight was over, the followers had either been caught or had escaped.

Indigo walked around the restaurant, looking for her fallen partner, but found no signs of him. The spot where he once laid was now empty. Apparently, she wasn't the only one to notice this, the aurors started to panic as the realized that Theseus had gone missing and was most likely kidnapped by one of the followers.

Queenie had caught word of what happened and immediately sent an owl to Newt. She didn't say specifically what happened, only that it involved Theseus, she figured that would be enough to bring Newt back to America in a rush. Telling him the whole truth could cause him to do something stupid, such as attempting to bring his brother back own his own. At least now she would have a chance to calm him down and bring him back to his senses.

She had gone home; her work day was over, and this was the first place Newt would come looking for her. She had only waited a few hours before hearing a knock on her door. Rushing down the hall, she already knew who it was. A blue coat storming into her living room was proof that she was correct.

"Where is he?" Of course, this was the first thing he asked. However, she wasn't expecting a simple 'hello' or 'how was you day?', not today.

"Newt, why don't you sit down", they both took a seat on opposite sides of her table, "May I ask how you got here so quickly?". She knew that this was a silly question and that she was delaying the news, but this kind of information was quite hard to tell somebody's brother.

"I have my ways. Now, what happened Queenie? And where's my brother?".

It was clear that Newt was getting more worried by the second, she figured she should probably tell him. Just rip off the band-aid, right? "Newt, I'm so sorry, but Theseus has been kidnapped".


End file.
